The Bicycle / Biking Gear Thread

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Did this cycling a rough trail down in California (Downieville classic downhill) weekend before last.

So, order this today as a birthday gift to myself. The chin bar is removable. I don't know that I will wear this helmet on every ride, but I like the idea of it on rougher down hill rides.
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gtrjunior said:
You got yourself good there....healing mojo!
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At least it was more of a forward, abrasive movement, rather than a hard slam on the ground like I experienced one other time, requiring stitches. Eyes look puffy there from allergies and a bit of lack of sleep also. If you look closely, you can see where the stitches were in my center top lip last time.

Looking at my riding technique and considering what I can improve there. This crash just sort of happened as my front tire got caught up in a root. but I think I can commit more to my outside pedal and bar end/grip for better front wheel bite, and to not get my weight inside of the turn, overall. Not sure it would have helped with this crash, but something I want to improve.
 
@Tig That was the price I got (actually about a buck better) for the color I posted above. One of my riding buddies on that trip had a black one he really likes. Not often people wear full face in Sun Valley, as it is pretty smooth overall, though there are some spots. But nice to have the option, and the helmet without the chin bar seems nice too. Now, in Downieville, you saw a lot of full face, enduro and downhill style helmets. Those Sierra mountains have a lot more roots and rugged rock.

My crash was not on a really technical part. I was flowing along in the forest. Probably should have had clear lens in as it was in and out of dense trees. I think I missed seeing a root and got the front hung up some how. And I was rolling along at a decent clip, as opposed to picking my way through techie stuff.

Here he is in his. Lurking in the shadows of the forest over there across the bridge.
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@Tig , also, I found it for that price as part of my Amazon Prime account, and went with that, rather than another place I found for $9 less, as shipping is speedy and free, and for the possibility of return if it doesn't fit.
 
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I think I'm mountain biking tomorrow morning. 10 miles ascent to about the 4,500 ft elevation level at Mt Wilson, then turn around and come back. All fireroad so it's a blast coming down.
 
rickenvox said:
I think I'm mountain biking tomorrow morning. 10 miles ascent to about the 4,500 ft elevation level at Mt Wilson, then turn around and come back. All fireroad so it's a blast coming down.
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OK, I'm so done with tubeless tires. I had my mtn bike hanging in my garage so long that the sealant dried up and the tires wouldn't hold air. So I took my wheels to the shop, since I had to buy the sealant anyway thought I would have them do it for me. So the one really good shop mechanic takes one wheel and does it the prescribed way, while my buddy the shop owner starts gabbing away with me as he always does, and pours in the sealant through a gap between the rim and the tire where he had used a lever to open it up (why? I have no idea). But we're gabbing away about the local cycling scene gossip and I'm not really paying attention. Anyway I go to pull my bike out this morning (he had inflated the tires to 40 psi the day before, which I was possibly going to bring down to 35) and one tire has air and the other is flat and I'm not taking the chance that it won't hold air. So not having time to diagnose the problem I quickly jumped on my road bike for a morning ride. So not sure if that tire maybe has a leak, but I'm really suspecting that the difference in how the shop owner put in the sealant probably has something to do with it. My tire didn't have any leaks before the sealant went bad. I just need to do these things myself. Shop guys can save time, but this shop owner is notorious for doing stupid things, usually he's not paying attention. But I do remember once when I had him swap all the components off my road bike to a new frame, and he tried to keep the same seat height by measuring from the floor (!!!) to the top of the seat on the old bike and doing the same on the new frame. I pointed out how that might be "stupid" and he looked confused for way too many seconds before he realize why.

It was such a nice day for a mountain bike ride. Damn.
 
I have had no problems with tubeless. But then again, the bike shops around here are all mountain bike shops primarily and most locals run tubeless. So I guess they get used to setting the bead correctly and filling correctly, etc.

Sorry you missed your MTB ride. That sucks. I still would not go back to tubes though.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
I have had no problems with tubeless. But then again, the bike shops around here are all mountain bike shops primarily and most locals run tubeless. So I guess they get used to setting the bead correctly and filling correctly, etc.

Sorry you missed your MTB ride. That sucks. I still would not go back to tubes though.
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Damn, I reseated the tire, made sure the sealant was evenly applied, tire held air for 3 days and then a couple of days later completely flat. It's either a super tiny hole in the tire or the valve stem. I'm at a complete loss and will probably just end of buying a new tire. If it stays inflated for 3 days I don't think dipping in bucket of water will reveal any bubbles.
 
So bike guys (@Tig @IamSeaDevil ,@sunvalleylaw to name a few)

I've been having some trouble with my shifters of late, skipping 2 or 3 rings on the cassette, not staying on the big ring when shifting from the small on the crank. Nothing too major though once in a great while the chain binds on the big ring which can be a bit entertaining. So I'm guessing the cables are stretching but when I try adjusting on the bike rack at home everything works perfectly. It seems that the issues are intermittent or need a load to happen. Any words of wisdom for me. I'm relatively new to indexed shifters having (and still using) friction shifters which don't have this issue
 
I am no tech, but I would have just done what you are doing. I guess try it again, and make sure there is no stretch, then adjust the derailleur. I guess also perhaps the derailleur hanger could be bent. But not sure. Some other more techy guys might be able to help more.
 
I'd be surprised if the derailleur is bent, it doesn't look to be and there hasn't been a crash or any other incident to cause it to bend. I'll see how it goes tomorrow if it's not too cold to ride
 
Have you replaced the chain recently? If you use a new chain with worn cassette cogs the chain will skip when you put power into the pedals.
It could also be the derailleur hanger. If it’s out of alignment, it will shift fine in the stand, but not when you pedal with any force.

The first thing I do when there are shifting issues is start from scratch. I install brand new cables and lube the housings. Slide the cable to make sure you don’t feel any binding.

I use a derailleur alignment tool to make sure the hanger is straight. You can eyeball it all you want, but it can look perfect and be off enough to fuck up the shifting.

Then I check the derailleur stop screws. This is easier to do if the chain isn’t on the bike. Make sure that derailleur stops directly under the top and bottom cogs.

Inspect the chain to make sure there are no bent links or stuck links. The easiest way to find a stuck link is to pedal the chain backwards through the derailleur. Watch to see if the chain hops as it goes through the pulley wheels. If it does, move it back and forth to see if it can be unstuck. If can’t replace it. If any links are bent replace it. Look at the cassette cogs and check them for wear. If they look like shark fins the cassette needs to be replaced. If any are bent or broken the cassette needs to be replaced.

Look at the front sprockets just like the cassette, replace anything damaged or broken.
 
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nuke_diver said:
So bike guys (@Tig @IamSeaDevil ,@sunvalleylaw to name a few)

I've been having some trouble with my shifters of late, skipping 2 or 3 rings on the cassette, not staying on the big ring when shifting from the small on the crank. Nothing too major though once in a great while the chain binds on the big ring which can be a bit entertaining. So I'm guessing the cables are stretching but when I try adjusting on the bike rack at home everything works perfectly. It seems that the issues are intermittent or need a load to happen. Any words of wisdom for me. I'm relatively new to indexed shifters having (and still using) friction shifters which don't have this issue
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The 17 year old at my local bike shop fixes those things in a couple of minutes. I spend half a day and it's never quite right. But cleaning derailleurs with solvent is sometimes a miracle fix. But stretched cables need readjustment and tightening the barrels only works crudely.
 
Thanks guys

The chain was replaced a few months ago. The cassette cogs look ok to me. I can't see why the derailleurs would be bent at all. If they are it is by telekinesis since there has been no force applied to them..like ever. The cables could be something to look into. The big surprise was yesterday, for some as yet unknown reason the chain came completely off the front when switching from the small to the big ring. It only happened once :shrug: I'll go check the stops and maybe replace the cables. It would be so much easier to troubleshoot if it happened more regularly or on the rack
 
nuke_diver said:
Thanks guys

The chain was replaced a few months ago. The cassette cogs look ok to me. I can't see why the derailleurs would be bent at all. If they are it is by telekinesis since there has been no force applied to them..like ever. The cables could be something to look into. The big surprise was yesterday, for some as yet unknown reason the chain came completely off the front when switching from the small to the big ring. It only happened once :shrug: I'll go check the stops and maybe replace the cables. It would be so much easier to troubleshoot if it happened more regularly or on the rack
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Always check the stops before you adjust cable tension
 
Didn't fit me too great and the ride was kind of blah. A non-butt-molded Brooks saddle is not a pleasant thing either. No touring bikes in the immediate area so I'm going to have to spend a lot of gas checking these things out. *spits*
 
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